For a comment, we once again go to Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications:

On behalf of our customers, we are very disappointed that we offered News Corp. what they asked to be paid for Fox 5 and Fox 29 and News Corp. has said no. It is now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that News Corp. is operating in bad faith. We call on the FCC to intervene immediately to restore the Fox signals to Cablevision’s 3 million homes and order News Corp. to agree to binding arbitration to resolve this conflict.

In a statement, Fox said Cablevision’s offer was “not acceptable” and was the latest in a long line of “publicity stunts.” Fox said it would negotiate a deal based on “an entire suite of channels” or a stand-alone agreement for the three TV stations.

I think Cablevision should offer subsidized HD antennas to their subscribers…. when many of their viewers are getting the channels already, it’ll put them in a much stronger bargaining position. They shouldn’t bow to the greed of News Corp.

In my town OTA works great for most people. However, most everyone has cable. I get all the networks including FOX and WB, 5 PBS and a few independents. This with a $30 in room antenna. All the home owners could get more with a roof antenna.

Many people say cable is such a rip off, they would ditch ditch it except they love their (fill in blank) You find that their bill is $70-$120! I guess the (fill in blank) is worth $70 dollars then?

The nice thing about HD OTA is that they either come in perfectly or not at all. Since everyone affected by the World Series blackout is in a pretty metropolitan area, I’m guessing 90-95% of them could get Fox via a decent room antenna. Even in cities with big buildings like NYC OTA reception tends to be pretty available.

I went to cable recently, but I live in Manhattan, and using an antenna in an apartment facing a back alley I could still get all the major networks (and several other channels) OTA crystal clear in glorious HD.

That seems foolish. Not only for the situation happening today, but also for general emergencies, when you need to get information. I bought a box and stowed it in my emergency supplies with my battery-operated radio. Just in case.

Sorry, sports fans, but growing pains like this are usually the only way we get change.

I am glad these companies keeping fighting and having customer’s being the ones who suffer. The more it occurs, the more likely these business models will go away for something that works better, or the FCC flxes its muscles and makes some changes.

I love baseball and if my Tigers were in I would make a sacrifice if they were in (by going to bar or something).

I still don’t see why Cablevision doesn’t pull FoxNews. It’s election time, the World Series of Scumbaggery. I bet Fox would change their tune since the only channel they’re allowing to be broadcast is FoxNews.

My favorite part is how my local Fox station is airing commercials blaming everybody but Fox. I respect a good strike, but I don’t like how Fox has the power to end this, but they act like they are helpless.

I haven’t examined the facts enough to be on either side. I just think that it’s funny to see Fox act like they are completely innocent. I was just reflecting on the nature of propaganda, more or less…

Yes, Cablevision could totally end this by caving to Fox. Then when NBC/Universal/Comcast and CBS/Viacom/MTV Networks come asking for the same deal they can end it by going out of business or raising their rates by 100% as well.

Sure but Cablevision is at least trying to negotiate. There’s no indication News Corp. has offered anything except their initial proposal. I think people are right to blame News Corp…. it just looks like pure greed, given how much higher their proposal is than the past rates.

Apparently their proposal is the same amount that other cable companies are paying them. Cablevision insists they deserve a discount, Fox thinks otherwise. If you go into Costco and they’re selling a TV for $1500, you offer to pay $1000, they say no – what do you do?

The way it works out though, is that Cablevision is actually working in the consumers best interests. I know it is by accident, but still. The more they pay for Fox the more we pay, and the more we end up paying for others stations too.

No, Cablevision gave Fox what it wanted EXCEPT, Fox is DEMANDING they carry Fox Business (which has ratings so low they are immeasurable) and National Geographic Wild (which until today I had never heard of). They do not want those networks, but Fox is saying if you want one, you must take them all. Seems like selling a car and saying you must buy the floor mats and leatheer trimmed steering wheel that you hate.

In the Iowa-Mediacom situation it wasn’t Fox that owned the stations, it was Sinclair Broadcasting, and in addition to Des Moines’ Fox affiliate getting shut off they also owned the Cedar Rapids area CBS affiliate and it was also shut off.

Cablevision put all their eggs in a basket betting that the Yankees would be in the world series and local politicians would force fox to cave in. I have no idea who is right in this negotiation but cablevision lost a big a chip when the Yankees got knocked out before the world series.

Strange – I thought exactly the opposite, that it was Fox that wanted the Yankees in the WS to pressure Cablevision. After all, it is Fox that has chosen this moment in this market to pull the plug.
Now the pressure is somewhat reduced for Cablevision to pony up, and they can probably sit it out until after the WS, when Fox is in a significantly weakened position.

The FCC should step in and require broadcast TV stations to provide their signals free to cable companies but at the same time also require cable companies to provide free broadcast-stations-only cable service to anyone in their service area who asks for it as compensation for not having to pay for the broadcast channels.

This would benefit the public by ensuring access to free broadcast channels.

This would also benefit the broadcasters by ensuring their channels are available to anyone in their broadcast area, therefore maximizing their potential advertising revenue.

This would benefit the cable companies because they would gain more subscribers, a foot in the door, so to speak, to get the new free customers to pay for non-broadcast channels. It would also benefit the cable companies because they wouldn’t have to pay for free broadcast programming.

And neither the broadcasters nor the cable companies are likely to approve of this idea … so it must be good!

Hey lets be Honest! Rupert Murdoch NEEDS that money because he is supporting the entire Republican Party and has already Guaranteed those payments to their respective campaigns. If he backed out now what would the Republicans do? Pay up America, you owe him!!!!!

I’d love to see Cablevision stick to their words and just say no to Fox. While i’m sure that customer would like to have Fox I don’t feel that carrying Fox is an obligation to Cablevision. They should have the right to decide what services and channels they want to offer and which they don’t.

“Offer for all Residential and Business customers who may or may not have previously subscribed to Postseason.tv. To receive $10.00 credit, proof of order must be sent in an e-mail to JerichoQA@cablevision.com, fax to 201-405-1804, or mail to Cablevision, Quality Assurance Dept., 200 Jericho Quadrangle, Jericho, NY 11753. Include the order confirmation e-mail from MLB.com Subscription along with subscriber name, address, phone number and account number. Proof of purchase must be submitted by 12/26/10. Allow 2 billing cycles to receive your credit. Cablevision employees are not eligible. Offer expires at the end of the World Series.”

Will Cablevision pro-rate my bill for the fact that I’ve lost 2 channels. These are channels they are no longer paying for, but I now am. So even if it’s a miserable $.02 I think we should get a little bit back here.

I don’t have cablevision and am not affected but FCC should intervene. Murdoch wants to hold ALL the channels hostage. Isn’t there a law that says you cannot use one product to artificially balloon the price of another? Also, Murdoch owns Dish network so the longer this goes on, the better he profits because not only will cablevision eventually pay, but all the customers who are fed up will go to dish. it’s a win-win for murdoch and a lose-lose to all the customers.

I am not a sports fan, but I have been watching Fox on HULU so this battle is of no concern to me here in NJ. Rupert is living with a dying business model, adapt and over come or die, I am sure the latter will be the result. Why fight, with digital signals I can get all this for free, on my HD TV right out of the air. I have had Cablevision for 15 years now I was the first on my block to get cable internet, they have always treated me well, and I stand by them. Fox can cram it.